Dance With Me (Isaiah)

[Aaricia]

Aaricia hadn't had the pleasure yet of exploring the newly conquest-ed lands. She couldn't say that she understood exactly why Goliath had chosen this particular chunk of land to mark Kairos' scent around. Acerbus didn't seem like prime hunting grounds from looking around these woods. There was a creepy, eerie feel about them and she hadn't seen any game large enough to be significant. Mostly just bats and other woodland creatures. She could honestly say that she preferred her island home to this seemingly dead forest. She had made a trip to the large lake that the locals called Draynough earlier that evening and she wasn't sure if she wanted to trust that dingy grey water. She hadn't seen any fish swimming in it and that couldn't have been a good sign. She hadn't talked to Goliath in what seemed like forever. His motives for taking Acerbus were lost on Aaricia. She could understand needing to expand for space issues but why here? There had to have been better lands than this one. Even the air tasted a bit sour compared to the clean, fresh air that she was used to.

However if Acerbus was going to be part of her home, she wanted to familiarize herself with the land. She had yet to see the denning area but she would get to there eventually. This new forest was like a maze. Remembering where she had already been and where she would like to go was a little challenging but nothing a little concentration couldn't help.

Aaricia hadn't been visited by the gods in a couple of weeks. Their silence was a little concerning, why the sudden halt in communication? Why now? They had been pretty regular before and now.. nothing. The gods were as confusing as they had ever been and weren't showing any signs of making anything clearer for her. Maybe they were done with her? Maybe they just didn't have anything to show her? So many possibilities.

Something caught the corner of the snowy fae's eye and her head spun to get a better look at it. She let a calming breath escape her lips. It was just some rocks. Aaricia continued on her way, trying to calm her beating heart. It was safe to say that the female was on edge in Acerbus. It didn't exactly give off the aura of safety and serenity. She wanted to get through here as fast as she could so she could get back home to the safety and comfort of her little island.

[Isaiah]

Acerbus was a dreary place. The lifeless forest had been burned as long as anyone could remember, but the ashes had refused to produce a phoenix. No shred of greenery rose above the meager grass and moss that littered the tarnished ground. Fog hung in the air like angry spirits, dancing with finger-like tendrils around the jagged stumps. The forest could hardly be called such a name anymore—it was a graveyard of nature with jagged rocks its somber tombstones.

Isaiah was disturbed as he walked—less by the inherent discomfort that the woods brought, but by the ashen dust that kicked to the air with every pawstep that was inevitably settling in his coat.

The honey-hued brute strode through Acerbus slowly, walking in relative quiet while his stance still remained proud and calm. He was a wolf without expectation. He’d kept his hopes of finding his brother low. In the back of his mind, he was aware that he didn’t remember how his family smelled, and if the strong, virile scent markers at the border were not Goliath’s, he was trespassing. All he knew is that it certainly did not smell like Ryker, the previous alpha of the land. He’d smelled that border before, and this was distinctly different. But regardless of his current status, trespasser or welcome guest, he was confident that he could talk himself out of the situation if need be. He had a reputation among some of the locals of being charming. And pretty, he reminded himself, a good-natured inward chuckle pressing its way to his maw, and Isaiah shook his head.

He hadn’t walked far before he saw a white she-wolf. He halted behind a series of boulders, not hiding by any means, but simply watching her behavior. The smaller fae was white as snow, and the way she moved was both graceful and nervous, moving quietly and quickly. There was something vaguely familiar about the way she trotted, and Isaiah didn’t ignore it. It felt comfortable.

Knowing she would hear his footfalls, the colossal male trotted up to meet her, his gait lazy. His long legs ate up the distance between them quickly, and he noticed that the femme was almost half his size. She was beautiful, her stark white pelt unmarred with any imperfection and the color seeming to glow in the gloomy light. She was too bright to exist here, a kind of perfect that death couldn’t touch. “Miss,” he called out, his eyes only half open; it was a look that he knew suited him. His mothers seafoam irises shone from beneath his auburn lids like glimpses of a more beautiful world than the one his paws could touch.

When he reached her, Isaiah cocked his head in her direction to say hello, slowing to a walk beside her. When he caught her eye, the Kenai brute almost gasped at the familiarity. Ever in control, he forcibly swallowed the hope building in his chest. He knew those eyes. They belonged in heads that would tease him for being the only sibling of four to sport green. It made him feel rather special as a pup. Right now, his optimism was threatening to strangle him, although he was outwardly stoic, as was his greatest talent.

In a smooth motion, Isaiah stepped larger and moved in front of the white female, an act she might mistake for forthcoming dominance. The brute looked the smaller female dead in the eyes. His features danced between dark and light, loving and intimidating, masculine yet somehow feminine, as he stared at her, willing her to recognize him before he spoke. “I’m looking for Goliath,” he said cooly, never breaking his line of sight into the fae’s crystal blue eyes, taking another step towards the female, his eyes sparkling and a charming smirk spreading slowly from the corner of his mouth. “Do you belong to the pack that claimed this land?”

words: 667
tags: Aaricia
muse: good, no music in particular hurhur.
ooc:

[Aaricia]

Aaricia's paws landed gently on the burned ground beneath her. It was depressing, really, how dead everything was. One would think that when looking for a place to call home, they would choose an environment more fit for.. well... life. Aaricia hadn't seen birds or flowers or anything of particular beauty in her entire time here. The black ashes on the ground danced up around her legs with every step that she took, settling on her fur. Aaricia had never been one for vanity but she liked to keep her coat clean and looking nice. Appearances were the first thing that a wolf saw and the first thing they based judgement on. It was a sad truth but a truth nonetheless. First impressions were often very important and Aaricia didn't want to make bad ones because one never knew when a good impression would come in handy. Perhaps Aaricia would make a trip back to that grey lake to wash off the ashes before returning home. Her other home, she should say. Acerbus was technically her home now as well but Ina'mos would always be what she referred to as home. It was where she had been born and where her family now lived.

She heard footsteps coming towards her. At first, the sound breaking through the deathly silence caused Aaricia's heart to jump. She wasn't sure exactly how many Kairos were actually here. Titan maybe, Datura perhaps (though Aaricia knew that Datura would be one of the last wolves to come to her side should she need it). No one was out here to protect her from a hostile intruder. But she swallowed that fear and forced her heart to calm itself. She was the daughter of the prophet Belial and sister to the alpha Goliath. She needed to present herself with more dignity than fearful eyes and a racing heart.

There hadn't been many footfalls until the large brute had caught up to her.

"Miss," his voice said. There was something strangely familiar about this male. The tone of his voice was one that she swore she had heard before. Something about it made her think about younger years but Isaiah and Sabaoth were dead. Of course she had thought that about Goliath as well before meeting with him again. That fact alone was enough to spark a twinge of hope that her brothers were still out there somewhere. The male's eyes reminded her of her mother's. Aaricia hadn't seen eyes like that in what seemed like a lifetime. It was heartbreaking to see them as images of Ahri flashed through the snowy fae's mind but there was also something oddly comforting about them.

The male stepped in front of her, causing Aaricia to stop in her tracks. She thought the gesture was rude but he hadn't shown any other signs of aggression or a desire to harm her so Aaricia would remain calm and collected. It wasn't as if she would win in a fight against this male, anyway. He was nearly twice her size. She might have a chance at running if things turned hostile but Aaricia would rather avoid that situation all together. She watched as the male's face flipped through several different emotions and still the feeling of familiarity was present. He reminded her of her brother. The way he looked, the way he walked. Her memories of Isaiah were faded and blurry. If only she had known the fate that would fall upon her family, she would have spent more time memorizing every feature of her loved ones. It was one of her life's regrets, not spending every precious moment with those she cared about before they had been taken from her.

The male spoke again, looking for Goliath. Aaricia guessed that this was a potential member. He had heard of Kairos' mighty reputation and wanted to live under the strength and security of her brother's name. However, there were infinite other possibilities for why this strangely familiar male wanted to see Goliath. She was sure that Goliath's temper and tendency to fall to darkness has caused him some enemies along the way. Perhaps this was one of them. However, Aaricia opted to keep her skepticism to herself for the time being so she could see how this was going to play out. There was something in the male's eyes that made Aaricia want to trust him. The consistent eye contact was.. mesmerizing almost. However, charm and beauty could be deceiving and Aaricia wasn't a fool. Yes, the male in front of her was beautiful in a handsome way and his voice was cool and soft like the pool at the end of a waterfall but Aaricia had to keep her wits about her, as challenging as that may be. When dealing with strangers, letting one's guard down could mean death. Just because this male hadn't shown signs of aggression yet didn't mean that his intentions were pure.

The male asked with a charming and beautiful smirk if she belonged to the pack that now owned Acerbus. Aaricia smiled softly back at him. "Yes, I am," her voice sweet and tender like the breeze in the spring. Her face may have been sweet and unassuming but the brain behind that face was ticking away. The fact that this male was asking if she belonged to this pack meant that he didn't know who she was, which was a good thing. If he were a foe of Goliath's, it would not be difficult for him to capture her and keep her as captive for ransom or kill her or any number of other things with seemingly no one else around. Aaricia planned to keep it that way. "What is your business with the alpha?" Aaricia had chosen her words carefully, referring to Goliath as "alpha" instead of by his birth name as many of the members of Kairos did. Surely a blood relative to the alpha would be much more valuable than a common member so perhaps if Aaricia portrayed herself as such, this male would be less likely to take her if that was indeed his intention. If his intentions were good, like she hoped they would be, then hiding the whole truth from this stranger wouldn't cause anybody any harm. Surely if this wolf was of intellect, he would understand her situation and her need for secrecy.

Isaiah

[Isaiah]

As she spoke, she was calculating. Isaiah could see it behind her crystalline eyes like a hunting nurse shark underneath the water hunting its prey. She was smart—she wasn’t some common femme. She thought herself important. Very important. His smirk deepened, toothy and bright, as excitement danced in his throat and he sat on his haunches.

He was intuitive by nature. When they were young, his brothers sparred for practice, naturally gifted at the physical arts. Isaiah kept up with them, never one to deliberately disappoint, but he lacked the vigor that Goliath and Sabaoth had. When they were hit, it enraged them, made them fight harder—when Isaiah did, it made him want to clean his wounds. He was a fine warrior and hunter, growing up with his elderly companion, but he preferred to out-think, not out-perform.

He had been farming his talents for perception his entire life. Before they were all dead, he often knew when Sabaoth would break out in rageful fits before even he did. He could tell, when others couldn’t, that sometimes Ahri would leave her own body and another would come forward. It was often while she slept. He could tell when wolves were lying and very often what their next physical move would be. All things began in the mind, and the secrets were all behind the eyes. This wolf thought he was familiar, though she didn’t completely trust him.

And so he held his gaze steady at eyes so familiar he could hardly stand it. She knew she was important to the alpha, and Isaiah had only seen Goliath take to one wolf in such a way that she might recognize her safety in his affection. The brute cocked his heads upwards, raising his chin to just slightly above head level. “Is he about yea-big?” He hadn’t seen his brother in years, but he had always been the biggest pup. “Blue eyes, big dreams? Brown and black?”

Rocking back on his haunches, he lifted a paw, breaking his contact to look at its pad that was covered in ashen dirt, expecting the female to start questioning him at any moment. He forced himself not to gag looking at the mess, but didn’t hide his expression for a moment. Isaiah willed her to remember. “This place is... something,” he cooed, his voice like hot liquid over ice. He took a gamble with his words, baiting questions within her that he already knew the answer to, his tone agonizingly nonchalant. “Though my brother never did have the most normal perversions. I imagine he quite likes it here.” The giant brute took a long pause, staring at her, a genuine, good-natured smile spreading across his lips. His voice warmed, mimicking the honey in his coat. “But I imagine, you don’t.”

Aaricia <3

[Aaricia]

It was true that Aaricia thought quite highly of herself but why shouldn't she? Modesty and humbleness had their places and sure, Aaricia had her fair share of them, but confidence and knowing one's self-worth was more important than modesty or humbleness. After all, if one did't believe in themselves or think highly of themselves, how could they expect anyone else to? Aaricia had been born a princess and now she belonged to the most powerful pack on Anikira. Both of those things were worthy of pride, in Aaricia's opinion.

The male's smile was a bit concerning. What was he thinking? What did he know? Why was he smiling at her that way? It wasn't a polite smile or a bashful smile. He knew something - or at least thought he knew something. What was it?

The male sat on his haunches, signalling that they would be talking for at least a little while longer and wasn't in a rush to get anywhere. Even sitting, this male's size would have been intimidating to one who wasn't so accustomed to living with giants. Not being in a rush herself, Aaricia also sat on her haunches. Perhaps sitting would provide for more casual, relaxed conversation than standing.

Aaricia nodded when the male approximated Goliath's size with his chin and described his physical appearance and aspirations. Though, he hadn't answered her question which was a bit suspicious.

"Yes, it is" Aaricia agreed with the male when he called Acerbus "something." It was definitely.. something. Perhaps Goliath had plans for it or a purpose for this wasteland but Aaricia couldn't really see it. Maybe it would give the pack an easy place to get to the rest of the mainland from their little island home. That would make some sense. That way they could come and go without trespassing on other lands or making alliances.

Aaricia was shocked when this male called Goliath his brother. Clearly, if he remembered what Goliath looked like, he would have remembered her as well. She couldn't help but chuckle a little. "I don't mean to be rude but, you're not the first wolf to claim relation to the alpha," she baited him for proof. If he was in fact related to Goliath and herself, he should have no problems proving it to her. She wanted to believe him but it still seemed suspicious and unlikely. Sabaoth and Isaiah were dead along with Belial and Ahri. She was going to need something before she would believe that her brother had returned from the dead.

This male was warm and sweet, she didn't want to think that he would harm her or her family but she wouldn't be so naive to believe that he wouldn't. It was possible that this male was exactly what he was claiming to be in his actions to her but it was also possible that he was lying and had other motives. "I'll admit, it isn't what I would have chosen, but the alpha had his reasons for taking it." Aaricia wasn't about to speak poorly of her brother in front of strangers. That was just bad politics. Kairos needed to appear as one unit, following behind their leader, trusting him, believing in him.

Isaiah

[Isaiah]

For a moment, the honey brute only observed her objectively, not seeking for familiarity but finding it in every piece of the female’s form. She was so small, and so perfectly stark white. The last time he’d seen his family, he was just four months old, but the images of his mother, especially, were burned into his mind forever. There were numerous white wolves on the island—Isaiah wasn’t dense. But this female, the way she was built, the way she moved... she was a carbon copy of their mother as she had always been.

Except for her eyes, which had only been given to Isaiah himself.

The female chuckled when he called Goliath his brother, and then he knew. The nonchalant way she walked, the confidence with which she spoke, careful to refer to him as the alpha. This was his sister, and for a moment, Isaiah’s composure broke, the same way his heart did.

Goliath was alive. His sister was alive. Was Sabaoth alive too? Belial? Ahri? It was too much to think about, and the flood of emotion threatened to spill over as the brute moved to stand, still towering over his runt littermate as he always had.

“Aaricia,” he breathed, his voice a fraction of a second from cracking. His eyes shone and his smile fell, twisting into a grimace of pain, relief, and emotion. Just as she would be processing her own name in his mouth, he practically lunged at her, wrapping his body around her in a fierce embrace. “God damnit, I thought you were dead.” Isaiah’s voice was barely more than a choked whisper. He held her, wondering if he had gone as crazy as his brothers, before he pulled back and laughed, eyes twinkling with a mixture of normal charm and tears. He’d always been the soft one.

Isaiah used her nickname the second time he addressed her. “Look at me, A. You know who I am.”

Aaricia

[Aaricia]

It wasn't difficult to notice that something had changed with the male. She wasn't sure exactly what it had been that had set him off but suddenly, his face fell the way it does when one's soul was hurting. He moved to stand and his voice spoke her name. It sounded strained like it was about to break. How did he know her? Had he been watching them?  Of course, she had just asked for proof of his relation to Goliath... was it...? Could it be..? No. It couldn't be. Isaiah was dead. Aaricia had buried Isaiah. This male would be the right age though... and he had the eyes. Her mother's eyes. He looked different than the wolf she had known in her puphood. He was no longer a boy but there was something about him that was so undeniably Isaiah. Looking at this male, her brother's name kept to the front of her brain in a way that it never had before. She thought about her lost family from time to time but never like this. Never when she was with another. She was always alone.. except for now. 

The male lunged toward her and wrapped her in a tight embrace. God damnit, I thought you were dead. His crushing strength was strangely familiar and comforting. She wasn't afraid as she normally would have been. The hope that this could be her brother was never as strong as it was in that moment. His voice sounded cracked and strained but it sounded like him. Isaiah had always been sensitive and emotional like this. 

He pulled away from her before she could give a proper response and she looked at him again. Look at me, A. You know who I am.

This was her brother, he was alive. Instead of falling, Aaricia's face lit up with joy and excitement. Her brother was alive! Her eyes scanned him, taking in everything about him. His face, his eyes, his stance, everything. He was here. He had returned from the dead. Then the sadness and grief hit her. Her heart swelled with emotion and the tears in her eyes threatened to roll down her cheeks. She hadn't seen Isaiah in so long. It had seemed like an eternity. Now that he was back, she never wanted to let him go again. Her family had gained one more member back. "I know - I know who you are, Isy." Now it was her turn for a strained voice. Her brain swam with questions for him. How did he escape? Where had he been? Why hadn't he come home sooner? But those questions could wait. She moved towards him and reached her head up to lay her face against his neck. "I missed you," she told him softly, for fear if she spoke any louder that her voice would squeak and crack. Now that he was home, she never wanted to let him go. Her family had gained one more member back. Which also meant that if Isaiah made it out... Sabaoth and Belial and Ahri could have made it as well. Were they with him? She pulled away from him again to speak with him easier and hopefully be able to get a handle on herself. She took a few deep breaths to calm down. 

"Is Bobo with you? Or Belial? Or Ahri?" Maybe it was just wishful thinking or greed making her believe that the rest of her family may be alive and coming home. Nothing would make her happier. She and other brother hadn't ever been very close but that didn't mean that she wished for him to be dead. They were still family, regardless of their differences. Aaricia loved her parents and she'd give anything to be able to see them again. The fact that just three of them had survived the Osani massacre proved the family's strength and resilience. Perhaps it was by the will of the gods that they had survived but if they had willed the three of them, they may also have willed Sabaoth, Belial and Ahri. They could be out there.  


Isaiah
sorry this took me so long and that it's kind of a poopy post >.e if I can get my muse to come back long enough, maybe the next one will be better. 

[Isaiah]

I know who you are, Isy.

The rollercoaster of emotion lay thick between the two of them, and as her grief ebbed and flowed to happiness and back, so did his. She laid her head against his neck, and he breathed in the forgotten scent of his unforgotten sister. He shook his head against her at the mention of his mother and father, and Sabaoth, the last of their litter. “They’re not with me, Aaricia,” he said sullenly, though he could hardly believe the luck he had in finding that at least two of his siblings had survived the tragedy that had befallen them.

The sadness in her voice made him want to give her the sun and the moon, and all the trees in the forest if she’d asked for them. His sister was perhaps the only one—Isaiah often found himself compassionate, but hardly emotional beyond his charming nature. But Aaricia was different, the last femme on earth that shared his own flesh and blood. They’d grown together, no matter how short the time. And that mattered.

“But, you know,” he said to her softly, “it took me this long to come around. They could be out there.” The caramel male pulled away from his sister and began walking, gesturing to his sister to walk with him. He’d assumed she was heading back to Ina’mos when he met with her, and he was itching to see his brother. His next words almost made his eyes water: “Shall we go home?”

The power of such a simple question fell on his shoulders as excitement. He considered making small talk as they walked, and he practically giggled. It seemed so funny to him—small talk with someone so important, though it wasn’t small as one might assume. But what could he ask her? How was he to know what he wanted to know without having any idea what he didn’t know?

“Well,” he started at her, moving his hulking body to walk so that they occasionally touched. Isaiah’s crisp green eyes twinkled at her, loving and full of humor. “What have I missed?”

Aaricia
(I figure if you wanted to end on this post, that's fine! Or feel free to post again. Totally up to you. <3)